Friday Favorites: Healthy Beauty Products

I have never really been a “makeup fan”, even though I am a figure skater. Although many think it is a requirement for figure skaters to wear a full face of makeup, the truth is I (can’t speak for my fellow skaters) only wear cosmetics when performing. I love how it looks on other people, but quite frankly, this is what I look like when I try to put on makeup:

Just kidding; I needed an excuse to use this image.

Years ago, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that my sensitive skin could not tolerate typical makeup brands. I found out when I was applying lipstick for a show; when I took it off hours later, I had a rash around my lips and they had swelled to Angelina Jolie-esque proportions. While this might seem like a dream for some aspiring to that look, to me it meant something in the lipstick was inflaming my body, so I shouldn’t use that brand anymore. For a week after, my lips were still red and swollen, extremely chapped, and surrounded by a faint rash line which burned continuously.

So I had to find beauty products that would not only prove effective, but wouldn’t harm my sensitive skin.

Here they are!

100% pure Honey/Coconut Conditioner

Dr Bronners Citrus soap

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

100% pure Mascara

100% pure Eye pencil

100% pure lipstick

HAIR PRODUCTS:

100 percent pure shampoo and conditioner

I love this company for more than just the hair products; I also use their makeup. The coconut and honey conditioner is just the right consistency for my hair without making it look “greasy”, and it doesn’t make my scalp break out, (which is always nice). I have also used the same variety of shampoo and liked it, as well as the scalp shampoo. I have nothing but praise for this brand!

Dr Bronners Castille Soap

I use this product for more than just shampoo; it makes a great soap for cleaning nearly every surface, washing dishes, and washing laundry (just use it sparingly, as a little goes a long way). But I especially love it as a shampoo and a face wash. However, I do acknowledge that it can be drying on certain hair types, so be careful (just because it works on my hair/face doesn’t mean it will work on everyones!). I love it because it is one of the purest ways to wash your hair and face. You can also read Dr. Bronner’s thoughts on life on the bottle. For more on him you can watch the documentary.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

I have mentioned coconut oil in previous posts, and it’s great for not only cooking, but for beauty uses and skin care. I use coconut oil on my skin (especially my hands) in the winter; since it’s anti-bacterial, you can also use it on wounds to clean and assist in the healing process. In terms of “beauty” I use it to remove makeup safely. Most people know the struggle of trying to remove eye makeup–I previously used castille soap on a q tip, which obviously was not pleasant if it seeped into my eye–but all I do now is apply a drop of coconut oil to a q tip, then use that to clean off the eyeliner. Some use coconut oil as hair conditioner, but be careful not to use TOO MUCH and wash it out well, or you will have greasy locks for a while. And of course you can use it for oil pulling, which supposedly whitens teeth as well as cleaning your mouth. Overall, coconut oil is an important staple to have.

100% pure eyeliner/mascara

I love this stuff. Even though I only wear eye makeup when performing, I enjoy this combination. As previously stated, it’s one of the only brands I can wear without negative reaction. The mascara is not too “goopy” and relatively easy to apply, and the eyeliner is…eyeliner. Both are comparable to major beauty brands, but the ingredients are pure.

100% pure lipstick

There are many varieties of lipstick/gloss by 100% pure, but I prefer the Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze. The shade shown above is Sultry, and it is my favorite color. It’s close to a nude pink color, and on me looked unobtrusive (aka, it looked like my natural lip color but more refined). It is smooth and smells good, and best of all does not hurt my lips after wearing!

Do you have any favorite healthy beauty brands? Share them in the comments!